REPORT IN HYDROLOGY

HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

SUBMITTED BY:
BANAN, RIO JAY R.

SUBMITTED TO:
ENGR. POLICARPIO MABBORANG

02/22/2019
 I. INTRODUCTION

The hydrologic cycle is a conceptual model that describes the storage and
movement of water between the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and the
hydrosphere. Water on this planet can be stored in any one of the following
reservoirs: atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers, soils, glaciers, snowfields, and
groundwater.
Water moves from one reservoir to another by way of processes like evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, deposition, runoff, infiltration, sublimation, transpiration,
melting, and groundwater flow. The oceans supply most of the evaporated vater found
in the atmosphere. Of this evaporated water, only 91% of it is returned to the ocean
basins by way of precipitation. The remaining 9% is transported to areas over
landmasses where climatological factors induce the formation of precipitation. The
resulting imbalance between rates of evaporation and precipitation over land and
ocean is corrected by runoff and groundwater flow to the oceans.

Figure 1. Global schematic of the hydrologic cycle

Figure 2. A schematic of the hydrological cycle of the earth system

The hydrologic cycle is a closed cycle wherein the total amount of water is the
same, with virtually no added to or lost from the cycle. Water just moves from one
storage type to another. Water evaporating from the oceans is balanced by water being
returned through precipitation and surface run off. Despite the natural balance
maintained in the different storage of water, human activities have the potential to
lead to changes in this balance which will have a knock on impacts.

II. COMPONENTS OF HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

The hydrologic cycle can be subdivided into three major systems: The oceans being
the major reservoir and source of water, the atmosphere functioning as the carrier and
deliverer of water and the land as the user of water. The amount of water available at
a particular place changes with time because of changes in the supply and delivery.

1. Precipitation
Precipitation is any type of condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls
under gravity and includes rain, snow, sleet, hail, and fog. The amounts and types
of precipitation affect soil development, vegetation growth, and the generation of
runoff, which transports soils, nutrients, and pollutants. (Easton, 2015)
Precipitation, which is the source of virtually all freshwater in the hydrologic
cycle, falls nearly everywhere, but its distribution is highly variable

2. Condensation
Condensation generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools
and loses its capacity to hold water vapor. As a result, excess water vapor
condenses to form cloud droplets. The upward motions that generate clouds can
be produced by convection in unstable air, convergence associated with cyclones,
lifting of air by fronts and lifting over elevated topography such as mountains.

3. Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration is the combined effect of evaporation (movement of water
directly into the atmosphere as water vapor from a surface, such as the soil or a
water body) and transpiration (the process by which plants carry water from the
soil into leaves, where it is released to the atmosphere as water vapor). Due to the
difficulty in separating the processes of evaporation and transpiration, the two
processes are generally considered together and referred to as “ET.” This term
includes the water that evaporates directly from soil, water, and plant surfaces and
the water that is pulled from the soil by plant transpiration.

4. Infiltration
Once precipitation has reached the soil surface, some of it can infiltrate the
soil. Infiltration is the downward entry of water into the soil. The amount of water
that infiltrates and how quickly it infiltrates varies widely from place to place and
depends on soil properties such as soil moisture content, texture, bulk density,
organic matter content, permeability, porosity, and the presence of any restrictive
layers in the soil.

5. Percolation
Percolation is the downward movement of water that has infiltrated out of the
root zone under the pull of gravity. Generally, percolation is beyond the reach of
plant roots. Water that percolates downward through the soil, below the plant root
zone toward the underlying geologic formation, is responsible for recharging
aquifers.
 6. Groundwater Discharge
Groundwater can be a very important source of irrigation water for agriculture.
Groundwater that has percolated to an aquifer can be stored in that aquifer or can
flow out of the aquifer and discharge to a surface water body, such as a stream,
river, or lake. Groundwater moves from higher elevations to lower elevations or
similarly from areas of higher hydraulic pressure to areas of lower hydraulic
pressure. This pressure difference between two points is often referred to as
hydraulic head gradient.

7. Runoff
There are many ways to describe runoff, but a simple definition is the portion
of precipitation falling on an area that is rapidly discharged from the area through
stream channels. However, in reality, runoff generation is a complex process
controlled by many factors, and there are even different types of runoff generated
depending on the conditions.

III. INFLUENCE OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

Watersheds are subjected to many types of changes, major or minor, for various
reasons. Some of these are natural changes and some are due to human activities.
Watershed changes affect virtually all elements of the hydrologic cycle. The quality
of water is significantly deteriorating at many places due to industrial and agricultural
activities. There has been a growing need to quantify the impact of major human-
induced changes on the hydrologic cycle in order to anticipate and minimize the
potential environmental detriment and to satisfy water resources requirements of the
society. Even if the water of adequate quantity were present at a place, its use may be
limited because of poor quality. These are a variety of human impacts with the
consequences associated with it:

1. Generation of electricity (hydroelectric power stations and reservoirs)-

Increases water surface area allowing for greater evaporation Disrupts
sediment in river channel and deprives downstream of discharge
2. The mining of ground water for use in agriculture and industry-Increases
space available for groundwater storage thus decreases discharge in channel
and may impact aquatic life
3. Agricultural practices ranging from irrigation to ploughing-Prevents
infiltration, decreases the amount of water in storage as groundwater.
Increases run-off and discharge in channel leading to flooding
4. Large amounts of water vapour released into the atmosphere from industrial
activity-Increases cloud cover leading to increased precipitation and
decreased evaporation Can lead to overall cooling of atmosphere
5. Altering the nature of the vegetation (including deforestation)- Decreases
transpiration and increases run off. Soil washes away into river channels and
clogs them up leading to increased flooding
6. Paving, concrete, and the compacting of soils-Disrupts surface run off, alters
natural pathways of water flow

Figure 2. Human impacts on the Hydrologic cycle

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